Georgia Writers' Project, Savannah Unit research materials Descriptive Summary Repository: Georgia Historical Society Creator: Georgia Writers' Project. Savannah Unit. Title: Georgia Writers' Project, Savannah Unit research materials Dates: 1739-1943 Extent: 15.5 cubic feet (33 boxes, 9 volumes) Identification: MS 1355 Biographical/Historical Note One of many relief efforts to combat the effects of the "Great Depression" of the 1930s was the establishment of the Work Projects Administration (WPA) in 1935. The WPA created a variety of jobs in the construction field. The authorizing legislation also permitted the establishment of the Federal Writers' Project along with other cultural projects in theater, music and art. The Savannah Unit of the Georgia Writers' Project was begun as a unit of the Federal Writers Project in 1936 and operated continuously, first as a unit of a Federal Project, then as a unit of a State Project until December 31, 1942. During this period the local unit produced a number of complete projects as well as contributing its area of district share in projects undertaken by the State and National Offices. The unit made significant contributions to the state guide, Georgia: the WPA Guide to Its Towns and Countryside(1940). In addition, the unit compiled material for a State Encyclopedia, life histories for a State volume, local food recipes for a national volume and a number of smaller assignments. The Savannah Unit also produced The Savannah Guide (1937), Drums and Shadows (1940), Chatham County Map Portfolio (1942), military camp newspaper articles, and other projects. An outstanding contribution to Savannah's written history by the Savannah Unit was Savannah River Plantations, which was published serially in the Georgia Historical Quarterlyfrom March, 1939 through March, 1943. It was edited by Mary Granger and published in book form in 1947. It was reprinted in 1972 and 1998. Scope and Content Note The papers in this collection were in the workrooms of the Savannah Unit and were turned over to the Georgia Historical Society in 1942. The material has not been published. There are some complete essays, but the majority of the papers are typewritten copies of documents pertaining to a particular locale and biographical sketches of persons associated with it. There are transcripts of deeds, wills, estate inventories and accounts, extracts from early Georgia newspapers, and other sources which are noted in the detailed descriptions of the papers below. Arrangement: The papers are divided into five series: Series 1: Miscellaneous studies and notes which cover a number of topics including various counties and towns, Savannah and Chatham County; Afro-Americans; folklore; forts; land grants; and maps. These are arranged in alphabetical order by topic. (3 Boxes). Series 2: Studies and notes on Augusta. These also have been arranged alphabetically by sub-topics. (7 Boxes). Series 3: Notes and copies of documents on Chatham County plantations and townships. These plantation studies were not included in Savannah River Plantations. (13 Boxes). Series 4: Appendices to the articles in Savannah River Plantations. These appendices contain notes and copies of documents on the plantations included in Mary Granger's book. (2 Boxes and 9 volumes). Series 3 and 4 contain similar type information. The difference is that the information in Series 3 pertains to Chatham County plantations and townships that were not included in Mary Granger's Savannah River Plantations. Series 4 contains information about those plantations studied in the book. This material is actually referred to in Granger's book as the appendices. Series 5: Indexes to Series 3 and 4. Three boxes contain a personal name index. The other five boxes contain a chronological document index arranged alphabetically by the name of the plantation. (8 Boxes). Series 5 contains two kinds of indexes that refer to the material in both Series 3 and 4. Index Terms African Americans--Georgia--Savannah. Augusta (Ga.)--History. Bethesda Home for Boys (Savannah, Ga.) Chatham County (Ga.)--History. Deeds. Essays. Estate inventories. Fortification--Georgia. Georgia Writers' Project. Savannah Unit. Ossabaw Island (Ga.) Plantation life--Georgia. Plantations--Georgia--Chatham County. Research (document genres) Savannah (Ga.) United States. Work Projects Administration of Georgia. Wills. Administrative Information Custodial History Material was found in the workrooms of the creating organization and was gifted to the Georgia Historical Society. Preferred Citation [item identification], Georgia Writers' Project, Savannah Unit research materials, MS 1355, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia. Acquisition Information Unknown, 1942. Restrictions Access Restrictions Collection is open for research. Publication Rights Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher. Sponsorship Encoding funded by a 2012 Documenting Democracy grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Container List SERIES 1:: Miscellaneous Studies and Notes, 1741-1942 This series contains miscellaneous studies and notes which cover a number of topics including various counties and towns, Savannah and Chatham County; Afro-Americans; folklore; forts; land grants; and maps. These are arranged in alphabetical order by topic. Box Fldr 1 1 Athens, Ga. Architecture, 6.0 p. Essay by John M. Booth. 2 Athens, Ga. History, 2.0 items. Essay by Sarah H. Hall. 3 Bath, S.C. Paper Mill, 5.0 items. Typed copies of articles from Augusta newspapers, 1853-1874. 4 Bibb County and Macon, Ga., 4.0 p. Sketch entitled "Books and newspapers": a discussion of authors Sidney Lanier, Helen Topping Miller and newspapers. Rough draft. 5 Bryan County, Ga., 2.0 p. Brief sketch of Pembroke, the county seat. Rough draft in pencil. 6 Burke County, Ga., 20.0 items. A collection of essays covering the history of the county, towns, historic sites, religion, water and mineral resources, historic homes, topography, caves, and biographical sketches of Herschel V. Johnson and Nancy Hart. One sketch contains half a page relating to Jefferson County. 7 Camden County, Ga., 3.0 items. Maps of the county; indenture, William Hazzard and Anthony Wayne, 1785, for the sale of Spring Bluff; incomplete sketch of St. Marys. 8 Charlton County, Ga., 2.0 items. Short sketches on agriculture in the county. 9 Chatham County, Ga., 6.0 items. County Farm and Poor House. Papers, some from newspapers, regarding the county convict farm (Brown Farm), and the poor house, 1886-1888. Farm Report, September 3, 1937, listing produce of the farm. 10 Chatham County, Ga. Miscellaneous, 5.0 items. Sketch of resorts and scenic places; list of financial institutions; agricultural statistics; mineral resources; and "Notes for Savannah" describing that portion of Christ Church Parish lying along Savannah River between St. Augustine Creek and Pipe Makers Creek, including names of grantees, dates and acreage of grants and a ms. map. 10A Chatham County, Ga., 1.0 items. Royal Vale Plantation. "Plantation of the Royal Vale," chapter in Savannah River Plantations. Typed mss., bound, with handwritten corrections. 11 Columbia County, Ga., 3.0 items. Essays: points of interest; Kiohee Church; first Baptists in Georgia. 12 Effingham County, Ga. Land transfers, 1780-1887, 4.0 items. (some by Commissioners of Confiscated Estates); sketch of Bethany settlement; deed of subdivision of Waldhauer estate, undated; account of funeral of George Nowlan from Savannah Republican, December 1815. 13 Evans County, Ga., 2.0 items. Sketch of the county and town of Claxton; sketch of John Saxon Daniel. 14 Federal (Georgia) Writers' Project, 1.0 items. Sample of questionnaire sent by the project to postmasters in Georgia asking for information on their towns. This is a copy of one sent to Monteith, GA. 15 Fort McAllister, 3.0 p. Sketch of Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River, Bryan County side. 16 Fort Pulaski, 3.0 items. History of the fort on Cockspur Island in Savannah River (7 p. typed mss.); incomplete handwritten sketch on back of printed map issued by the National Park Service. 17 Fort Screven, 9.0 items. Sketches of the fort (2 typed mss., not quite identical); copies of articles regarding the fort from Savannah Morning News, 1921-1941 (7 mss.) 18 Fort Stewart, 2.0 items. Sketch of the area of the fort (2 typed mss); sketch of a visit to St. Simon's Island by Ft. Stewart soldiers, from Savannah Morning News, June 17, 1941. 19 Fort Wayne, 2.0 p. Sketch of the fort, attributing the present retaining wall at East Broad and Bay Streets to the colonial fort at the same site, which is incorrect. 20 Fort Yargo, 1.0 items. Sketch of the log blockhouse in Jackson County, GA, said to have been built in 1793. 21 Georgia Counties, Miscellaneous, 8.0 p. Bibliography pertaining to Burke, Emanuel, Jefferson, Jenkins, Laurens, Montgomery, Richmond, Screven, Toombs, Treutlen, Washington, and Wheeler counties. 22 Georgia Folklore. Superstitions, myths, and legends, 106.0 p. 23 Georgia Land grants, 4.0 p. List of 500-acre land grants in the period of the Georgia Trustees, 1741-1754. 24 Glynn County, Ga., 2.0 items. Brunswick District. General description, January 18, 1936 (5 p. mimeographed); map of the city of Brunswick. 25 Hamburg, S.C., 6.0 items. Copies of articles regarding the town from Augusta newspapers, 1875-1908, and from The North Carolina Historical Quarterly, January, 1934. One paper relates to Petersburg, Ga. 26 William Jay, 4.0 items. Articles regarding William Jay in Savannah, copied from Savannah newspapers, 1818-1820, 1932. 27 Jefferson County, Ga., 1.0 items. Typed copy of an article on the county from The Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel, July 14, 1873.